The present invention relates generally to the field of beverage dispensers, and more particularly to beverage dispensers having a recirculation loop that cools a dispensing tube bundle and an adjustable bypass manifold that enables the use of the beverage dispensers with different chilled soda recirculation systems.
Many beverage dispensers use tubing to transfer a beverage fluid from a source container to a dispensing assembly, such as a bar gun or a beverage dispensing tower. While the beverage fluid in the source container can be kept suitably cool, for example, via refrigeration, if the tubing used to transfer the beverage fluid is exposed to ambient temperatures, the temperature of the beverage fluid in the tubing may increase undesirably, especially where the beverage fluid dwells in the tubing for any significant amount of time. To prevent such warming of the beverage fluid, recirculation loops have been used to re-circulate the beverage fluid through a cooling unit, thereby maintaining a ready supply of suitably cool beverage fluid for dispensing.
For example, refrigerated re-circulating pump carbonators have been used to re-circulate carbonated water (also known as soda) from the refrigerated carbonator to a dispenser (e.g., soda gun, dispensing tower) and back to the carbonator, often through an insulated, multi-tube conduit. Two tubes inside the multi-tube conduit are dedicated to the re-circulating chilled soda. In this way, one or more dispensers can always tap into a consistently chilled supply of soda (typically between 33 and 36 degrees F.).
Referring to FIG. 1, many existing recirculation systems use a special fitting often referred to as a U-bend fitting 10 (also known as a return-bend fitting). The U-bend fitting 10 is typically made from three-eighths inch inside diameter stainless steel tube bent in the shape of a “U”. Both ends of the U-shaped tube have “barbs” machined into the first one-half inch of the tube to allow the soda incoming tubing and the soda return tubing to be reliably secured to the U-bend fitting. A secure connection is especially important in recirculation systems using a “Vane” pump, which in many existing systems generates flow rates of between 50 to 100 gallons per hour (gph) at operating pressures of between 75 to 100 pounds per square inch (psi). The U-bend fitting 10 typically has an outlet 12 welded into the outside/bottom surface of the U. The outlet 12 outputs soda from the recirculation loop to a soda inlet fitting 14 coupled to a dispensing valve and manifold assembly 16 via a short piece of tubing 18. The soda is then transferred to a dispenser (e.g., bar gun 20) through a dispensing tube bundle 22. Often, the U-bend fitting 10 and the short piece of tubing 18 are insulated to minimize loss of chill and to prevent condensation build-up and associated leakage.
A refrigerated re-circulating pump carbonator can provide a sufficient amount of chilled soda for multiple dispensers. Such multi-dispenser re-circulation loops are configured so that the soda supplying recirculation loop does not dead end at a dispenser. A series of U-bend fittings, one for each soda gun in the system, is used. The last U-bend fitting(s) in the system then sends the soda back to the carbonator to be re-chilled and pumped back through the system, continuously.
There are two types of refrigerated re-circulating pump carbonators that are prevalent in Europe and the United Kingdom. The first is a small, relatively in-expensive miniature refrigerated carbonator that used a “magnetic” drive pump. These “Mag Pump” carbonators are designed to provide chilled soda to one soda gun located within a maximum of 45 feet of the carbonator. This inexpensive, efficient, and compact mini carbonator is well suited for use in thousands of small pubs and cafe's in Europe and in the United Kingdom. The second is a larger system suitable for use with multiple dispensers. Larger, multi-dispenser recirculation systems can have tubing lengths, between carbonator and dispensers, of between 50 and 250 feet. These larger multi-dispenser systems require refrigerated recirculation carbonators with larger refrigeration systems and more powerful soda recirculation pumps. These larger carbonators commonly use Carbon Vane pumps referred to as “Vane” Pumps. Compared to the Mag Pump systems, which re-circulate soda at a rate of 15 gallons per hour (gph) and operate at pressures between 50 and 75 pounds per square inch (psi), the larger systems with “Vane Pumps” recirculate soda at a rate of 50 to 100 gph at operating pressures between 75 psi and 110 psi.
Refrigerated re-circulating soft drink systems, however, are somewhat complicated and expensive. They require well-trained installers and service technicians, preferably with refrigeration experience. Combined with the fact that refrigerated re-circulating carbonators typically run day and night, seven days a week, the cost in electricity can be considerable. In addition, pumps and pump-motors are common wear parts that are expensive to replace.
In view of the complexity and expense of refrigerated re-circulating soft drink systems, cold plate systems provide a less expensive alternative. A cold plate system includes a cold plate typically formed from stainless steel tubing cast inside a block of aluminum alloy. In earlier systems, the cold plate was typically placed in the bottom of a bartender's “Ice Bin” and then kept covered with ice. The ice chills the aluminum and transfers that chill into soda and beverage flavor syrups flowing through the stainless steel tubes inside the cold plate. An “ambient” carbonator is located in the vicinity, typically within 10 to 20 feet of the cold plate. The ambient carbonator is not refrigerated—it carbonates water at the ambient temperature of the water available in the bar or restaurant. The carbonated water in a cold plate soda system is not chilled until it reaches the cold plate. Therefore, the tubing does not need to be insulated until after it leaves the cold plate—leaving about three to four feet of insulated tubing from the cold plate to the dispenser's manifold.
Cold plate systems typically cost less than half what a refrigerated re-circulation system costs. Cold plate systems are simple to install and the installer and service technicians do not need to have refrigeration experience. The cold plate system's ambient carbonator only runs when the carbonated water is used. The carbonator pump/motor will run for approximately 10 to 12 seconds to refill the carbonator with water when soda is dispensed from the system. Otherwise, it is off, thereby conserving electricity. Ice, however, does cost money. Depending on volume, a cold plate system can consume a considerable amount of ice.
Cold plate systems have evolved over time. Loose cold plates lying in the bottoms of ice bins containing potable ice started to be outlawed in numerous states in the mid to late 60's. Eventually, all state health departments outlawed loose cold plates. In response, ice bin manufacturers started building the cold plate right into the bottom surface of the ice bin. This became known as a “sealed-in cold plate” ice bin. Once sealed in cold plate ice bins became plentiful, ubiquitous, and inexpensive, refrigerated recirculation soda systems have become less common in the USA.
Cold plate systems, like refrigerated recirculation systems, have been used in soda recirculation loops. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1, the soda recirculation loop is located upstream of the dispensing valve and manifold assembly 16. Although the amount of fluids contained in the typically one-eighth inch inside diameter (ID) soda and beverage concentrate tubing used in the dispensing tube bundle 22 is relatively small, recirculation loops that extend downstream of the dispensing valve and manifold assembly 16 were developed in response to market demand.
Referring to FIG. 2, in the mid 1990s, Automatic Bar Controls, Inc. developed a simple but somewhat clever method for maintaining a supply of chilled soda at a soda dispensing bar gun 24. This system was called a Soda Diverter Valve Dispenser (SDV) system. Chilled soda, for example from a cold plate outlet, was routed (via a tee branch fitting 26) through a first dedicated tube in a dispensing tube bundle 28 from a dispensing valve and manifold assembly 30 up to the bar gun 24 and then back to the valve and manifold assembly 30 through a second dedicated tube in the dispensing tube bundle 28. A recirculation loop in the bar gun 24 receives the chilled soda from the first dedicated tube and discharges the chilled soda to the second dedicated tube, which returns the chilled soda back to the valve and manifold assembly 30.
In one version of the SDV system, the return soda tube exited the valve and manifold assembly 30 and then flowed into a “normally closed” solenoid 32 to a sanitary drain. An electronic timer opened the solenoid 32 every seven minutes for 15 seconds to allow the chilled soda to flow through the recirculation loop in the bar gun 24, thus cooling adjacent fluids in both the bar gun 24 and in the dispensing tube bundle 28. Although the SDV dispenser concept was shown to many American beverage companies, none were interested. Automatic Bar Control's distributors overseas did embrace the SDV concept and began buying SDV dispensers in the late 1990s. This Distributor has been re-selling the SDV soda guns to beverage companies in Europe and those companies have been re-circulating chilled soda from small European-made refrigerated carbonators.
Automatic Bar Controls, Inc. has developed two types of recirculation handles. In the mid 1990s, the “Machined Recirc Handle” was developed by machining a loop “track” into one of the layers (plates) of acrylic that made up the machined handle. The five layers (plates) of the handle were individually machined and then bonded together. FIG. 3A shows a plan view of the Machined Recirc Handle 34 that illustrates the recirculation loop 36. FIG. 3B shows a rear view of the Machined Recirc Handle 34 that illustrates an inlet 38 and an outlet 40 for the re-circulating soda. And in the late 1990s, Automatic Bar Controls, Inc. started the development of a molded handle 42, which is illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C. In response to the growing demand for recirculation bar guns, a passageway (recirculation loop 44) was designed into the rear portion of the bottom molded layer (plate) of the molded handle 42. A heel adapter 46 for the molded handle has “knockout” inlet/outlet tubing ports 48, 50 that are normally closed. If the handle was to be configured to make a “recirc” soda gun, the inlet/outlet tubing ports 48, 50 were drilled out allowing access to the recirculation loop 44 molded into the rear of the bottom plate.
While significant developments in beverage dispensing systems with recirculation loops have occurred, further developments remain desirable. For example, more easily implemented beverage dispensing systems that maintain chilled beverage temperatures downstream of a dispensing valve and manifold assembly are desirable.